Dream Scented Soldiers
by xxbeyondxbirthdayxx
Summary: Mika never drank Krul's blood after her initial bloody kiss, he never became a vampire, earning himself the fate of those who refuse to complete the transformation into a vampire. Yuu never met Ashuramaru, never sealed a deal with him. It was a very different demon he summoned, one that might be more than just his fighting partner. And those lucid dreams, they look so real...
1. Into the Void

_**Note:** This is the introduction to Dream Scented Soldiers, actual chapters will be longer :)  
xxxxx means a timegap.  
Expect one or two updates per week :) (no idea how long it will be though)  
This is Mikayuu, rated M for future chapters._

 ** _Mika never drank Krul's blood after her initial bloody kiss, he never became a vampire, earning himself the fate of those who refuse to complete the transformation into a vampire.  
Yuu never met Ashuramaru, never sealed a deal with him. It was a very different demon he summoned, one that might be more than just his fighting partner.  
And those lucid dreams, they look so real..._**

* * *

 **Introduction: Into The Void**

That was the day. Finally...

Yûichirô had reached his goal, and he would soon possess what he had been coveting since he had seen Shinoa's scythe: his very own demonic weapon. A mere formality, and soon would be sealed a contract between him and a creature so powerful that Yûichirô could already see himself rendering the vampire race extinct from Earth.  
The vision of those vile creatures vanishing into dust by his sword, and his alone, was enough to bring a confident smirk to his lips.  
The others could give a try, and even succeed, at this part of the training, but he didn't need them, partners were useless, he could do that on his own, for he had a lot more reasons to hate vampires. He'd do it for the orphans, for Mika... and to prove everyone he was better, stronger.

Guren was more than annoyed with Yûichirô's arrogance, but he didn't doubt the ability of the boy. What he worried about though, was what would be next. Once Yûichirô would have the weapon in his hands, unpredictable as he was, Guren was pretty sure that the kid would be even more of a pain.  
But the choice between keeping him away from demonic weapons because of his uncontrollable nature, and conducting the training and experiment to its full potential had been easily made, there had been too much invested until now, and too much at stake for humans.

xxxxx

Yûichirô was floating in a black void, desperately trying to find support for his legs, arms... anything. But he just kept on falling at an agonisingly slow rate, his surroundings so dark that having his eyes closed or open didn't make a difference.  
The experience was quite opposite to the first time he had encountered a demon, and he began to wonder if one would ever appear to him. Maybe it was a test, and Guren had lied? Maybe something had gone wrong?  
"Hey?" he called, but his voice barely echoed, and no one replied.

A few more minutes passed, before Yûichirô saw a flash of light, gone as fast as it came.  
"Somebody there?" he called again, feeling anxiety pool in his stomach. Was that a demon? Where was he for God's sake?!  
Just as a third interjection was about to pass his lips, the flash of light came from behind, and before he even realised that, floating as he was, there was no way for him to turn around, a soft embrace caught his waist, and finally, his feet touched the ground, the light pressure of arms leaving his body at the same time.

Yûichirô took that as his cue to face whoever had been holding him. His arm rose to protect his eyes, the light being so blinding that he could merely guess the outline of a... human? Or whatever was standing in front of him, that at least had a human shape. Was that a demon? Would a demon be that gentle?

Confused, Yûichirô decided to speak up since the human-shaped light stayed silent.  
"Are you my demon?"  
He should be fighting remnants of the past by now, shouldn't he? That's what had happened the first time, and there was no other inner dilemma plaguing him that an evil being could use to trick him. Really, all of this was far from what he had expected. But Yûichirô stayed on his guards, Guren had said it would be a lot more difficult than the first time, so the boy stayed on alert for whatever came his way.

"Are you a demon?" Yûichirô asked again, this time leaving the possessive form aside, because nothing said that the creature, if it was demonic, was his. He was supposed to fight visions, at least a little, right?  
"I am here for you, if that is your question." The voice was as soft as the previous embrace, but Yûichirô didn't leave room for sentiment, that was probably one of many tricks the demon had in its sleeve.  
He waited, for what, he didn't know, but still nothing came. That was annoying to the least...

Tired of the silent treatment, Yûichirô pressed on.  
"Huh... so... is that all? No test? No visions?" The boy was beginning to think that, demon or not, the creature didn't seem particularly enthusiastic, nor evil, but he stayed on his guards nonetheless. Yes, that was probably a game for the demon, and soon he would unleash his fury when Yûichirô would give in, even the slightest.

"I don't want to torture humans."  
The voice held sadness, and Yûichirô felt his heart wring, although he wasn't sure that he should pity a demon.  
"So is that it? The contract, is it sealed?"  
That's what Yûichirô was here for, after all, so better get this over with.  
No answer.

Anxiety took hold of the boy all of a sudden. Would that demon fight for him? Was it powerful? Yûichirô couldn't imagine himself being stuck with a weak demon that didn't want to lend him a hand in eradicating vampires and everything that was waiting outside to be killed...  
No, he couldn't be that unlucky after all he had done until now? That would be unfair!  
He greeted his teeth in anger. Why? Was it because he had been too much of a free electron and Guren was punishing him? No, that was out of Guren's hands, Yûichirô had chosen the weapon, so Guren had no influence on the Demon's choice...  
Yûichirô was stronger than the others, that was why! The demon knew it, and had submitted, that was all there was to the situation. Piece of cake!  
"So... what happens now?" the boy asked in direction of the light that he still couldn't look at without feeling his eyes tear up from the brightness.

The light became even brighter, forcing Yûichirô to squeeze his eyes shut. The voice whispered in his ear, as he felt warmth all around him: "Go back to your world, I won't be far."  
Floating again, Yûichirô felt the soft embrace once more, and his body pressing against what definitely seemed like a person, before everything went black and cold again.  
The next minute, he was waking up with Guren and Shinoa's faces staring at him.


	2. Paranoid

_**Note:** Thank you everyone for the reviews, favourites and follows :)_

 _I will most certainly update this fic every Sunday, it seems like a good schedule for me, with work and all the other fics I'm on lately :)_

 _Quick info: I use the Japanese names and name suffixes because to me they reflect the nature of the relationships between characters better (for example Yuu never calls Mika any other name than 'Mika', but Mika always call Yuu 'Yuu-chan', which to me shows a lot about personalities for example - do I make sense? -, and also since I read and watch the anime in OV, they look more natural to me.)_  
 _The story is a free adaptation of the canon so events and time frames might differ according to what I need for the story to evolve._

 _This chapter sets things in place, more action next chapter :)_

* * *

 **Paranoid**

Brushing his teeth, Yûichirô could feel his eyes close from exhaustion. They had almost lost Yoichi. More than the fight with the demonic version of his training mate itself, which had been tiring enough, the emotional toll of seeing Yoichi in this form had shaken him.  
And there was also the questions that had come afterwards, when his own experience with the entity in the void had sank in, leaving messy pieces of a puzzle in his head.

Yûichiro had kept them for himself, but they hadn't stop looping in his head since he had awoken from his demonic slumber.  
Listening to his partners' experiences with their demon, his was on a very different level. He didn't have to fight, he didn't get visions, the demon didn't play mind games and surrendered without the tiniest opposition.  
Only those words... _I don't want to torture humans_.  
And the soft embrace. Did the other demons show any sign of similar proximity when his team mates had sealed the deal? From what everyone said, it was unlikely.

He would be damned if he'd admit this out loud though, they didn't need to know.  
First because he was a loner, and would solve that by himself, and also because deep down inside, Yûichirô had the feeling that his time in the void, his encounter, might be made fun of by the others, like a lower level experience. Guren would know that it hadn't been according to what should be expected, and he might even take the sword back.  
No, definitely not an option.  
Yûichirô would see to things as they came, he'd know soon enough if the entity was a demon for good, and if he was a cooperative one.  
On that resolution, the boy slid into bed, but, no matter how tired he was, sleep escaped him for a little while.

What bugged Yûichiro still was that he was under the impression that, no matter how much he had tried to convince himself that his demon had simply surrendered because he had acknowledged the boy's strength, his demon was actually weak and not worth of him.  
It was one thing if he had eventually failed sealing a pact with a demon, because he could try again, he would convince Guren of that, should it be down to that, and Yûichirô could even cope with everyone's jeer, but if the deal was made, for real, then, as far as he knew, there was no way out of it.  
He'd be stuck with a useless demon, and that meant that his time in the army was over. Guren would kick him out because even if the boy was strong enough on his own, the lieutenant wouldn't risk keeping him in a squad without real demonic powers.

Yûichirô eventually fell asleep, his train of thoughts lulling him to a much needed rest.  
For the first time, the boy spent a whole dreamless night. No nightmares, no waking up in a start, only a long deep sleep from dusk to dawn.

./.

Yûichirô, thanks to the full night of rest he had woken up from a few minutes ago, was in a much more positive mindset toward his demon-related worries. No need to keep turning it over, things would happen as they would happen, it was out of his hands anyway.  
He cleaned himself and got dressed quickly, before swallowing breakfast downstairs. He finally headed for the exit, where Shinoa was waiting for him.  
The cheerful girl seemed a little less feisty than usual, which told Yûichirô that things were getting serious.  
He felt guilty for keeping everything to himself all of a sudden. Maybe he should speak up? What if he endangered his team mates in the middle of a battle?

Shinoa was there with orders, to which Yûichirô complied easily, too happy to finally jump into action. They were requested to meet at the Shinjuku headquarters, Guren waiting for them there.  
Keeping his anxiety at bay, Yûichirô travelled shortly with Shinoa, before both joined Guren and the others at the meeting point.

Their new team member was introduced to them: Mitsuba Sangû. After a short confrontation with Shinoa, the blond girl not exactly pleased to be under the supervision of what she deemed a mere rookie, Guren putting a stop to it quickly, the finally fully formed squad left for their first mission.

They had been walking for a while, and Yûichirô was beginning to wonder if they'd see some action anytime soon.  
He felt his heart wring at the sight of the devastated world, outside the barriers he had been living in, these last four years. It was one thing to see this from afar, but the close proximity with this desolation reminded him how precious his time as a member of the Hyakuya orphanage had been, even if he wasn't aware of it at the time.  
Mika... Eight years ago, Mika had been forcing his overwhelming self on Yûichirô, with the laughters and the protection, and this word: family. Now, the blond boy was a souvenir of a time for which Yûichirô would give anything to get back.  
Family... the collapsed bridges and buildings, the vegetation invading every crack, the dust, the overall damage was a painful reminder of the slaughter at Sanguinem. Yûichirô's heart was in the same state than the city he was now walking in with his squad: a ruin. It had crumbled, piece by piece, as the youngest orphans had fell on the floor in a bloody puddle, by the hand of Ferid Bathory, and finally broke for good when he realised he couldn't save Mika.  
Yûichirô loved all the kids at the orphanage, but when Mika died...  
Ah, why was he thinking about that now of all moments?

Pulling himself together, the boy instinctively brought his hand to his sword. He should worry about his demon more than anything else right now anyway.

Mitsuba's lecturing babble was suddenly cut by screams coming from a distance, a little girl appearing shortly after, obviously chased by a Horseman.  
Yûichirô didn't have the time to step forward that the blond girl was already barring his way with her arm: "Stay where you are, idiot!"  
"What?" the boy was stunned. How could she be asking such a thing when there was obviously someone that needed their assistance?  
"Don't break formation!" Mitsuba was serious.

The screams became even more desperate as the Horseman sent the little girl to the ground violently, Yûichirô's blood starting to boil from standing there doing nothing to help. Mitsuba could say that the child was a bait as much as she wanted, the boy didn't care for the vampires' trap, it was no reason not to act.  
Ignoring Mitsuba's many warnings, he finally jumped forward, drawing his sword. Squad or not, he was not letting this vile creature alive. The girl was just a small child, for God's sake!

Just in time to prevent the girl from ending down the cliff at the border of which she was corned, the boy jumped in front of the Horseman, his move allowing the child to run away. At least she was safe now. Now he just had to finish the monster, which shouldn't be so hard.  
And indeed, the Horseman was down with a swift blow of Yûichirô's blade, the others helping to kill it for good.

Unfortunately, Mitsuba had been right when she had said that the kid was a bait.  
Three vampires appeared as soon as the Horseman was rendered to a pulp, landing close to the squad.  
Mitsuba gritted her teeth, sending a reprobating look at Yûichirô for disobeying. But the deed was done, and now they had to deal with more than a lousy Horseman. Vampires were a lot more to handle.

One of the vampires attacked Yûichirô, who was the closest. This one was obviously the leader among the three . The boy raised his sword to stop the blow coming his way, before counter attacking. He managed pretty well, but soon, the battle turned to a three against one, and the enemies were closing in on Yûichirô.  
 _Now's the time to see what you can do, demon..._

Realising that he didn't even know the name of the entity he was about to call for power, when all his comrades knew the identity of their demons, Yûichirô's gut tightened. He was either about to save his ass, of fuck it up completely...  
Swaying his sword around him in a wide circle, with the intention of steering the three vampires away from himself, he prayed real hard that it would do something. Anything. _Pretty please?_  
He barely had time to utter a few words to beg the entity to do something that a blinding light flashed out of the blade, before the bloodsuckers were pushed several feet away violently.

Yûichirô looked at his weapon half relieved, half in disbelief, the light dying down to a white glow swirling around the metal of the blade. It _could_ do something.  
Focused on this small victory, he didn't see the second blow coming, the vampires, irritated that a lowly human had been able to fight back, were even more vicious this time. But he did get the sudden sensation of two arms encircling his waist, a feeling that quickly morphed into one of an embrace of his full being. _What the hell?_

When Shinoa screamed and the others came to the rescue, it was already too late, a few seconds of inattention and Yûichirô had three angry bloodsuckers ready to slaughter him at once. Honestly, the boy had first thought that Shinoa had been screaming at the sight of what was holding him, but he had to come to the evidence that there was nothing visible around him, except the three vampires that he was only seeing attacking again just now, and he knew all at once that it was the reason of the girl's screams, and that he was in a really bad position. If not downright dead.

As they came closer at lightning speed, all three of the immortal creatures suddenly crashed into an invisible wall, falling backwards unceremoniously, glancing at each other in incomprehension.  
Yûichirô would have laughed, if he hadn't been so shocked both by the way the vampires had been rejected by some kind of bubble around him – at least, that's what he guessed it to be – and by the warm embrace around him. He was a little scared even, the only thing preventing him from freaking out being that he knew that he was being protected, so it couldn't be a bad thing happening.  
The rest of the squad was looking at the scene dumbfoundedly, a few feet behind the vampires.

The vampires stood up from the ground, and retreated slightly, their leader obviously wary as the squad approached. If the one they had just attacked could do that, who knew what the other humans were capable of?  
Deciding against a third attack, the vampires retreated for good, leaving the place.

"Yuu-kun!" Yoichi yelled, running to the one whose name he had just called. "OUCH!"  
Yoichi fell backwards, receiving the same treatment than the vampires, except that his nose was now bleeding.  
Yûichirô opened wide eyes: "I'm sorry!"  
He closed the distance between him and the boy sitting on the ground, careful not to hit whatever it was that had prevented vampires and humans alike to approach him, but he met no resistance. Now that he thought of it, the sensation of being held had disappeared...

Yûichirô crouched next to his nose-bleeding team mate. "Are you okay?"  
Yoichi nodded, wiping his nose. The bleeding had fortunately already stopped, and nothing was broken, he had probably just exploded a vessel or two with the shock.  
Yûichirô gave him a sheepish smile. He had no control over what had happened, and somehow, it worried him that what seemed to be a protection didn't make a difference between friend or foe.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Mitsuba all but screamed, her voice piercing everyone's ears. She grabbed Yûichirô by the collar, her face contorted by anger, and slight fear. All of this was not normal, she knew it. Demons didn't do that.  
The boy was torn between admitting that he had no idea where it all came from, that he wasn't the one in control, and playing it safe.  
"Heh, I told you I was the strongest." he simply replied, playing the card of self-assurance.  
"Protection, really?" Kimizuki huffed, "You know you can't fight so you hide behind whatever it was that you did. Pathetic."  
Oh, how Yûichirô wanted to shut Kimizuki's big mouth... but if he did, he would give himself away. For once, he would ignore the sarcastic comment, even if it cost him all of his self control. He didn't like it, _at all_ , that this fathead hinted that he had hidden behind this protection to avoid fighting... he wasn't like that!

But for now, they had to bring the little girl back to safety. Returning to the headquarters, the squad cleaned up before calling it a night. The kid had valuable informations, and Guren had given the five a new mission: get rid of the vampires that were holding the Omotesandô station and free the humans kept there as livestock.  
It would be a lot more to handle than their mission of the day, so the lieutenant had decided against sending them back to the battle right away. A good rest was a better option considering what was coming.  
Also, Mitsuba had requested to talk to him about what had happened, precising that it had to do with Yûichirô, and his interest was piqued. The boy was his main card, after all, so if something had happened, he had to know of it.

That night, Yûichirô slept like a log once more. No nightmares, not even the tiniest dream. It wasn't a habit of his since he was used to wake up screaming and sweating, if he ever found sleep at all.  
When morning came, he felt strange though. His rest had been void of dreams for what he could remember, but a fuzzy feeling resided as he stirred, making him want to simply go back to sleep.  
But that was not an option so, sighing, he put that sensation on account of finally sleeping well and got ready for the day to come.

./.

"You, on the training yard, now."  
Guren seemed angry and preoccupied, all at the same time, and it didn't bode well for Yûichirô. He followed the lieutenant though, breakfast obviously forgotten, wondering what this was all about. If it had been about his disobedience of the previous day, Guren would have led him to his office, not on the training yard, so the boy could at least guess that his demonic weapon was the problem. _Ah, it should have happened sooner or later..._

"Stay here." Guren commanded, as he kept on walking. Yûichirô obeyed, standing still in the middle of the open space.  
The man stopped at the other end of the yard, then turned around to face his recruit.  
"Ready yourself." he simply said, loud enough for the boy to hear, before drawing his sword.  
Yûichirô barely had time to stir his own from its sheath that Guren was already summoning his demon and unleashing a black fury on the boy.  
"HEY!" Yûichirô yelled, surprised by the attack, "Are you trying to kill me?"  
The black wave was on him in no time. Within seconds, it was all over.


	3. Behind the Wall of Sleep

_**Note:** I couldn't update last Sunday, sorry! Too much work!_  
 _I'm passing over events and battles pretty quickly for a reason: they are not the main focus of the story. The important stuff is coming at the end :)_

* * *

When Yûichirô opened his eyes, Guren was standing in the distance, still, eyes like saucers, his blade still hanging in mid air.  
The embrace. Once again, it had come, and vanished, leaving the boy confused, but this time there was more to it in the residual fuzzy feeling inside of him. It felt... familiar.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Guren exploded, half shocked, half amazed at what he had just witnessed. The black wave he had sent in direction of his recruit had simply been completely swallowed by a blinding white swirl dancing around Yûichirô, leaving him unharmed.  
Yûichirô had no idea what to reply to that, but he knew that his position had given away the fact that he had no clue about it himself: he had been caving in, waiting for the blow, so Guren would obviously know that he wasn't responsible for whatever had protected him. Guren had acted too fast for the boy to even try anything anyway.

The lieutenant walked to him, decided to clear this.  
"You tell me everything, and you tell me NOW!"  
Yûichirô didn't want to admit that he wasn't in control, it was a big blow to his pride, but he didn't really have a choice right now with all evidences against him. And maybe, if he told everything, Guren would have a few answers on his side once he would know the truth.

"I... I am not sure about the demon I got." Yûichirô stuttered.  
"What do you mean, you are not sure?" Guren wasn't used to see the boy hesitate, and he began to fear that the part of his recruit that wasn't human was the culprit of this demonstration of power. _It's too soon... and it shouldn't act like that...  
_ "The contract with the demon... It wasn't the same as the first time, I didn't have to fight it, it didn't give me visions, it just... surrendered..." That was harder to say than Yûichirô had expected, and he lowered his head in shame.  
Guren pondered over that for a few seconds, then led the way to his office. He had to have a better understanding of the situation, and he and Yûichirô were in for a talk right now.

When the boy left his office half an hour later, the lieutenant still had no idea how to deal with that, except just to wait and see. There was not much more he could do anyway, without knowing what had really happened, and how these powers reacted to their full extent.  
All he knew was that the summoning of the demon hadn't been according to the way it usually happened. But he was positive that it was indeed a demon, because no other entity could possess a weapon.

Yûichirô was reassured concerning that information, since it was one of his main worries. He had also gotten confirmation from Guren that the powers involved were by no means weak. If anything, they were above average if they could stop Guren's blow. The latter had kept for himself the fact that he didn't appreciate that to the least, though, because he was supposed to have one of the most powerful weapons out there. That wasn't good, Yûichirô and his temper were not the best mix for so much power.

./.

The squad was ready to leave for their mission, but Guren surprised them as he announced that he would be accompanying them. Mitsuba hadn't even opened her mouth that the lieutenant raised a hand to silence her.  
"I have no worries concerning your abilities, I just need to see something with my own eyes." he explained.  
All except Yûichirô looked at each other dubiously, but none dared to say a word.

As they approached the Omotesandô station, a light murmur of voices came to their ears. The squad descended the stairs leading underground, unsurprisingly finding hundreds of humans kept as livestock. Most were in an awful shape, very few even raised their head to look at the squad as it passed in front of them. They had lost hope, and that small bunch of soldiers was probably no match against their captors.

The battle was engaged pretty fast as the first of the vampires appeared, but soon, the trap closed in on Guren and his recruits as more of the bloodsuckers arrived... a lot more than they expected after what the little girl saved the day before had said.  
It all went downhill from there. They were too numerous, too strong, and the squad found itself back to back, encircled, Guren isolated in a corner, and no matter how many times each of them unleashed their demons on the vampires, those were too fast, avoiding the attacks and trying to slash into human flesh every time they could.

Shinoa was badly hurt, her thigh bleeding profusely, and she could feel herself get dizzy. Yoichi knew that she was close to collapse when she became suddenly heavy on his arm that she was clutching to steady herself. Kimizuki looked at them, then Mitsuba: what to do now?  
Guren was grappling with his own set of vampires and was of no help. Mitsuba glanced at him one last time before she decided to take action, and launched herself forward, trying to pierce through the closest of the bloodsuckers. There was no issue than death anyway if they stood there, so there was no other choice than to break formation, this time.

The vampire that the blonde aimed at was quick to withdraw, her axe missing its target, dragging her forward with the force she had put into the blow, and as she tripped, she knew it was the end, for her at least. The tall being she had just missed was back at her, his hand going for her throat, a strong hold lifting her from the ground, choking her.

When it all went white, Mitsuba let the axe fall from her hand. It was over for her, and she had no doubt that her companions would be next.  
She realised though, after a few seconds, that although she could hardly breathe, she was very much alive, and that her throat was free. Painful, but free. She had landed flat on her ass on the hard concrete, but she was unable to see anything. She could hear Guren scream, but that was all. Everything around was white. Glowing.

The strange cloud, or whatever it was, dissipated all of a sudden. Shinoa was passed out on the floor, Yoichi holding her head, beginning to focus on his surroundings instead of the girl, Kimizuki looking around as well, eyes crossing between every member of the squad, incomprehension painted on everyone's faces. Everyone except Guren, who was smirking, making the others even more puzzled.

"What..." Kimizuki didn't even complete his sentence as the lieutenant pointed at Yûichirô with his chin, his smirk not leaving his lips as he approached the boy. The latter was standing straight, his sword in hand, the soft white light twirling around the blade fading slowly.  
Around them, the presence of vampires could only be guessed by the dust the underground's flow of air was carrying, but all bloodsuckers were simply destroyed. All of them.

"I have to admit that it's pretty impressive." Guren tapped Yûichirô's shoulder, the boy coming out of his daze at the touch. He had wanted to save Mitsuba, and had started to run to her, but his sword... it had acted like it had a mind of its own, or maybe... it had read his mind? He hadn't uttered a single word, no demand to his demon, nothing, and yet, it had _responded_ to his inner intentions, the light, blinding, enveloping the place, sweeping the vampires like mere pawns on a board, their bodies turning to dust almost instantly with the passage of the glowing wave on them.  
Only Guren was able to witness it from where he had been standing, his own attackers erased in a blink of an eye.

They didn't have time to dwell on what had happened for long. Shinoa needed care and they were all in a bad shape anyway, so they headed back to the headquarters as fast as they were able to, Kimizuki carrying the wounded girl.  
The army took charge of the humans in the station when the information that all vampires had been killed was given by the squad, sending trucks on site with healthcare, food and enough men to attend to the now free vampire livestock.

Guren was still frustrated that he didn't know how Yûichirô's powers really worked. It was beyond what he knew of possessed weapons, and beyond his own power for sure. But he wasn't too worried with the nature of said power because whether the boy controlled it or not - he wasn't sure about that part – it still knew the target and didn't harm anyone among the squad. That had been his main concern so that was at least one of them off the table.  
He pondered over calling his recruit, but finally decided against it. The few that Yûichirô had said on the way back to the headquarters had replied to his questions so there was no need to discuss it more. The boy was only experimenting with his sword, so answers would come into battle. Guren would have to change his plans a bit though, if he wanted to be there to see for himself. Ah, Shinya would be able to replace him, that wasn't such a big deal...

The lieutenant quickly crocheted by the room where Shinoa was resting, making sure she was fine. Shinoa was half sitting in a bed, her back resting on pillows. Her wound was deep, but not enough to invalidate her for too long, and she would soon be on her feet.  
Mitsuba was at her side, and Yoichi arrived in Guren's back with drinks as the tall man stood in the doorframe. He swept aside, smiled to them, and left, Kimizuki coming his way to reach Shinoa's room as well as he crossed the corridor. Reaching his office, Guren placed a vinyl record on his player, sat in his armchair, and dined alone. He was developing a liking for those kids, but he had had enough interaction with them for the day, and relinquished in the calm atmosphere of the room before he called it a night.

Yûichirô had spent some time with Shinoa and the others before fetching some food and going back to his room. He ate on his bed, his thoughts wandering in all directions: the relief that he wasn't useless in a battle, the pride that his powers were even stronger than Guren's, the slight fear of not knowing the true nature of what he could do with them, and confusion, so much confusion.  
He had been almost disappointed when, as the white light had exploded around him in the subway station, there had been no embrace, just that extremely blinding wave of power that destroyed all enemies on its path, and suddenly there was this feeling of being _connected_. There was no other way to explain what had happened: the weapon knew what to do, what Yûichirô himself had wanted to do. Not that he had thought for one second that he stood a chance at killing Mitsuba's attacker - he had just wanted to do something, anything - let alone turn to dust the totality of the vampires around them all...

Rubbing his face in frustration, Yûichirô stirred before hopping off the bed. He cleaned himself quickly and slid under the sheets. Guren had given no orders for the next day so he decided not to set his alarm. There would be someone to wake him up if something came up anyway.  
Just like the day before, his own thoughts lulled him to sleep, this time a lot faster though.

./.

Yûichirô didn't remember getting up, but he was very much awake and alert right now, and fully dressed. But... where was he? His eyes surveyed the place but it was dark, too dark to see anything.  
For some reason, he wasn't scared. It was warm, and the atmosphere around him felt welcoming. He didn't know why, but it was. Suddenly, light appeared in the distance, and now that he could see better, Yûichirô realised that he was dressed indeed, but in his pyjamas still. Well, at least he had something on. Was he dreaming?

Yes, he was, it was all too surreal to be reality... And since he could see himself in the dim light, but not what was around him, he was starting to have a pretty good idea of where he was: the void.  
With confidence, that he had no idea where it came from considering the strange situation, he called.  
"Is there anyone here?"  
He knew the answer, for the light was approaching him, blinding him more and more with each inch less separating him from the white glow. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm here." The boy started, surprised to even receive a reply.  
He closed his eyes as something that felt like arms encircled his short frame, the fuzzy feeling making an appearance deep inside of him. Tentatively, he tried to reciprocate the embrace, but his hands only met air.  
Yûichirô would have taken a step back from shock if he hadn't been held in place strongly.  
"Wha-"  
"Don't be afraid."  
Yûichirô couldn't even say he was scared, it was just unsettling, to the least. He could _feel_ something holding him, but he couldn't hold it back because it wasn't even there?  
The embrace tightened slightly, and this time, the familiar feeling was back. If only he could place it...

"Tell me your name." Yûichirô whispered, still holding on to whatever was with him. It felt so good, and it was just a dream after all... a demon-induced dream more than certainly – all his comrades were having them with their own demons after all, so it wasn't surprising – so he could as well enjoy it while it lasted, no one would witness that.  
"I can't." the sad voice replied, and Yûichirô could have sworn he felt a hand stroke his hair briefly.  
"Why?"  
"You have to find for yourself."  
"What do you mean? I have to give you a name, like a pet or something?" the boy was not sure he liked the idea.  
"No, you know my name already."  
"I don't get it..." Yûichirô felt the embrace vanish, and for some reason, he suddenly felt empty.  
"You need to remember me." And on these words, the light flashed then disappeared, Yûichirô seeing his surroundings appear around him. The room, his bed, where he was sitting, the sheet covering his legs.  
He was awake for good now.


	4. Who are you?

_**Note:** Sunday update :)_  
 _I know some of you are eagerly waiting for the story to earn its M rating but patience, let me develop the story a bit, I don't write PWP sorry!_

* * *

Yûichirô slid out of bed, his feet meeting the cold tiles of the floor. Shivering, he stood and walked to the open window, the light breeze chilling him to the bones. Pulling the curtain out of the way, he closed the window, his eyes falling on the view outside. Dark, barely discernible, the outlines of the world made his heart sink.  
For some reason, the loss of contact - if he could call contact what he had felt while dreaming – had left him at loss. It wasn't just the physical proximity, there was more to it. The familiar feeling that he couldn't place, but that he suddenly realised he missed... what was it? Why did it feel like déja-vu?

Sighing, Yûichirô went back to bed, shivering, the warmth of the sheets welcoming his body, lulling him back to sleep.

"Who are you?"  
There he was again, in the black atmosphere of the void, calling out to the white point approaching.  
Eyes tightly shut, the brightness of the light suddenly becoming unbearable, Yûichirô held out his arms in direction of his demon.  
"Are you a demon? I don't even know if you are one..."  
"Yes, I am."  
The boy felt hands on his own, and he closed his fingers on them, feeling the entity coming closer, the sensation of finally being able to touch it physically making him shiver slightly. Four hands were now trapped between his chest and the body of his demon. He wanted to open his eyes so badly, but each time he tried, they would just burn, and water, and he had to squeeze them shut because it just damn hurt, with so much light.  
"Please, tell me who you are. I can't see you."  
"You know who I am."  
"Let me at least see you, please..."  
"I can't..."  
"Why do I need to remember you? Will something happen if you tell me your name?"  
The demon was making so much mystery about his identity that Yûichirô couldn't help but wonder if there was some curse involved or something.  
"I need to know that I still have a place in your heart. I am a demon, but I don't want to be just that."

Who could it be? Yûichirô knew that there weren't many options if he was supposed to know this person... could he still call it a person?

The warm hands left Yûichirô's and found their way around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.  
The boy started as he felt his body react to the contact in a way so similar to what he had felt years before. He couldn't be mistaken this time. His body remembered, and so did his mind, finally.

"MIKA!"  
The light died down all of a sudden, as Yûichirô opened his eyes and took a step back.  
Tears started to spill as he took in the sight of a grown-up Mika, standing in front of him.  
"Yû-chan..." the blond boy was smiling, and Yûichirô couldn't help but smile back through the tears, half laughing, half sobbing. The voice was deeper, but now, he just couldn't believe he hadn't recognised it. Yes, Mika's voice was not one of a child anymore, but it still had that softness in it, and the timbre was still the same, if not for the manlier sound of it.

"Mika, I can't believe it's you!" Yûichirô couldn't process what was happening, the fact that his demon was Mika, how his friend had ended up as a demon, what were the odds that they got reunited... everything was so confused right now.  
Strong arms snaked around his shoulders once again, Mika bringing him close, the other boy holding his waist tightly.  
For a moment, none of them talked, drowning in the happiness of the reunion, but quickly Yûichirô withdrew, starting to feel awkward. He was holding his best friend so tightly, what was he thinking? What would Mika think?

Blushing out of embarrassment, the dark haired boy broke the silence: "You're taller than me." he mumbled.  
"Always have been." the blond boy chuckled.  
"How did that even happen?"  
Mika knew that the question wasn't about his height, but the general idea that he was now a demon.  
"I thought you were dead..." Yûichirô continued, "Well, are you technically alive, as a demon?"  
"Yes, more or less. I'm immortal so I guess you can say I am alive."

Yûichirô couldn't help but stare. Of course he recognised his friend, the curly blond hair, the striking blue eyes, but he had to get used to seeing him so grown up. It was as if Mika never died, that day, as if he had just led a life on his own, becoming almost a man now, at the same time Yûichirô himself had grown up.  
"What happened?"

Finding themselves sitting on the ground, both boys kept glancing at each other, exchanging smiles.  
"I thought I would die, the day you... Ferid..." Mika didn't want to utter those words. He knew his friend, he knew how tormented he had been over fleeing away while leaving them all behind. He had seen that, from the realm he had been stuck in, all these years. So he wouldn't say it, because he didn't mean it that way.  
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Mika..."  
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Yû-chan, see? We're together now." Mika forced a smile on his lips. He was happy, but he hated to see Yûichirô beat himself up over something that he wasn't responsible for. Mika was happy that his friend had been able to run away. To live. There was no resentment for the past in him.

"Ferid almost emptied me of my blood, well, what was left of it, as you were leaving, and Krul... the queen of vampires, she stopped him and she turned me into a vampire, to make it short."  
"You're a vampire?!" Yûichirô opened wide eyes.  
"No, not exactly. I refused to drink blood after she turned me in... and that's what happens when you don't drink blood, you become a demon..."  
"Oh..." the dark haired boy had no idea what to reply to that. He already felt guilty for running away without his family, now, the guilt for all what Mika had gone through was tearing him apart, and it was a thousand times worse.  
"Yû-chan, don't. This was not your fault. If anything, it was mine. I was stupid enough to think that my plan would work."

"Yû-kun!"  
Yûichirô started, immediately sitting in his bed. Blinking a few times, it took him several seconds to realise where he was, and whose voice had called him.  
"Yû-kun! Wake up! We're waiting for you for breakfast, the girls cooked it and they will be angry if you don't come downstairs."  
Yoichi had a sheepish smile on his face, his head poking through the door cracked open.  
"Why don't you admit that you just don't want to have to eat it all by yourself?" Yûichirô yawned, aware of the girls' ability to cook: close to zero, "I'll be there in a sec."  
"Okay!" Yoichi exclaimed, closing the door and running to the kitchen.

"Fuck." Yûichirô muttered under his breath. He stood up, looking around, "Mika? Are you there?"  
Just as he expected, no one replied. Where was Mika now? Was it all just a dream? It felt so real it was confusing.  
He washed his face, got dressed, and headed downstairs to the common room, where the rest of his squad was sitting.  
He didn't want to be here, and he didn't like that he had been stirred from his dream either, just when he was finally reunited with Mika, and mostly in the middle of a talk...

Shinoa handed him a plate full of... something supposed to be food as he sat next to Yoichi.  
Unfortunately, it tasted even worse than it looked.  
"Seriously girls, why do you impose us your poor cooking skills, what did we do to deserve that?" Kimizuki said after swallowing the first bite with difficulty.  
Even Yûichirô would never have dared to say that out loud, and for a reason, as he saw Mitsuba jump from her chair and slap the other boy, her eyes glaring daggers.  
"That's what we get for taking care of feeding you boys?" she spat angrily.  
"We'll never cook again!" Shinoa sulked, forking in the pile on her plate.  
"That's kind of the point." Kimizuki replied, rubbing his cheek, pushing the plate away from him.  
Yoichi kept on eating, not wanting to be impolite, but he was starting to feel sick.  
"You don't like it either! Say it!" Mitsuba yelled at the poor petite boy who was doing his best to hide his disgust while swallowing.  
"No! It's okay... I guess..." Yoichi was shared between lying to spare the girls' feelings, and say the truth so they would never have to eat something like that again.

"Guys, I have a question." Yûichirô gave everyone a welcoming distraction from the horrid breakfast, "How do you interact with your demon? I mean, when you have dreams, are they just dreams or is it something more? More real?"  
"No Yûichirô, wet dreams don't count as real." Shinoa teased him, poking out her tongue.  
The others chuckled, but Yûichirô ignored her comment. He really needed to know.  
"I talked with mine yesterday." Yoichi said, "It's still fresh so I'm not sure how it happens yet, but I think I was dreaming, and we talked."  
Yûichirô was on the edge of his seat, eager to know more.  
"I woke up and he wasn't there so I think I was dreaming, but it was more like he would appear in my dream to talk to me than just me having a dream about my demon, if that makes sense." Yoichi explained.  
"It's not dreams," Mitsuba huffed, "You rookies don't know shit!"  
"It's hard to tell, it doesn't feel like sleeping but my demon never appeared to me when I wasn't closing my eyes, but I've barely had it for two days so I wouldn't know." Yoichi added, averting his eyes from Mitsuba's glare.  
"Demons are real and we sealed a pact with them, so it's normal that they show themselves to us to communicate." Kimizuki said as he stood up and deposited his plate in the sink before leaving the room.  
Shinoa gathered the rest of the plates and began to do the dishes.  
"They can appear if you summon them, like I showed you the other day when you wanted to steal my scythe. But why do you ask Yûichirô, did something happen?"  
"No, it was just out of curiosity..."  
"Demons like to talk to their owners, it's normal." the girl smiled to him.

Yûichirô nodded. So it might not be just a dream, to his relief.  
But his encounter with Mika had been abruptly cut, and he was hoping that he would be able to resume it at some point. Yûichirô wanted to hold on to the belief that it was really Mika, not just an hallucination, or worse: a trick from a demon that wasn't Mika. But he didn't really think it could be the case. How could a demon make him feel the same way that Mika used to? No, that was impossible, it had to be his long lost friend... The boy wasn't even sure that he was simply trusting his gut feeling, or if he was trying to persuade himself.  
He wouldn't even be able to cope with it if it wasn't really Mika, or if these were just hallucinations...

The day was spent training, but everyone could tell that Yûichirô wasn't into what he was doing. Mitsuba finally decided to end it when the boy was almost hurt by a blow he could have easily dodged otherwise.  
Yûichirô didn't even oppose: all he could think about was the moment he would be able to go to sleep.  
Dismissing dinner – he was way too impatient to go to bed – Yûichirô went back to his room, showered quickly, and slid under the sheets.

It was an early time to go to bed, and sleep didn't come as fast as he wished.  
But Yûichirô held on despite his rumbling stomach, he had to dream, he had to meet Mika again...  
After a while though, he finally gave up and slid out of bed to fetch food. He made himself a sandwich in the kitchen that he ate on the way back to his room. Once back, he sat criss cross on the bed, and tried to relax.

A cold breeze brushed strands away from his face, and he realised that the window was open, although he was one hundred percent sure that it was closed when he had left his room. It was too cold outside at night to let it open anyway.  
Everything started to turn around him suddenly, and Yûichirô felt like he was floating, the bed a mere raft as he found himself in the void again.

"Don't be scared, I'm here." the familiar voice came to his ears before he saw anything, but soon, Mika was sitting across of him. Yûichirô couldn't distinguish the bed anymore but he was feeling it under him, strangely.  
"Mika... I was afraid that I might not see you again... or that it wasn't really you."  
"I'm not leaving you, we have a deal, remember?" Mika smiled, his hand reaching for his friend's, squeezing it lightly in reassurance.  
Yûichirô blushed, retrieving his hand instinctively in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, but Mika frowned. He looked hurt, but said nothing.

"Will you come in my dreams all the time?" Yûichirô tried to change the subject. He had reacted a bit abruptly, but he didn't want Mika to think that he actually enjoyed the physical contact. It was weird, and he didn't want Mika to imagine things.  
"Yes, unless you don't want me to?" the blond boy couldn't hide the sting in his question.  
"Of course I want you to! I've missed you!"

Mika seemed to relax a bit with this statement.  
"Is there a way for me to see you outside of my dreams? In real life I mean."  
"This is real life Yû-chan. What you call dreams are reality, I am truly here."  
"But... why does it happen in my sleep then?"  
"It happens in your mind, your body is still, but everything you experience here and now, your body feels it too. I know it is a weird concept to you, but the more we interact, the more you will get it."  
"Okay..."  
Yûichirô wasn't sure he understood but did he have a choice? It was already amazing that he had been reunited with Mika, he didn't need more than that for now.  
"Let me show you." the blond boy came closer, and grabbed Yûichirô's hand again, pulling it to his mouth.  
"OW!" Yûichirô pulled on his hand to free it from Mika's grasp, opening wide eyes at the droplets of blood forming along the small cut on his index, "Why did you do that?!"  
He brought his finger to his mouth to suck on it, not missing Mika's look. The blond was staring at his lips with envy.

"Mika, you're scaring me right now..." Yûichirô had to admit that he wasn't feeling exactly at ease with his friend biting him and now looking like he was about to pounce him.  
"I'm sorry Yû-chan!" Mika seemed to snap, the softness in his eyes coming back, "I just wanted you to see it for yourself, when you wake up."  
But Yûichirô was focused on something else, suddenly realising something.

Carefully, he brought his uninjured index to Mika's mouth, slightly raising his upper lip, discovering a pointy fang.  
"You have vampire fangs..." Yûichirô whispered. He hadn't expected that, Mika had refused to drink blood so he wasn't a vampire, but he had the fangs anyway?  
"They came when Krul made me drink her blood, and for some reason they stayed..."  
Yûichirô began to understand the meaning of Mika's look a little earlier: "Do you feel the need to drink blood?"  
Mika seemed reluctant to reply, which only confirmed Yûichirô's suspicions.  
"Tell me Mika. It won't change anything, I'm just trying to understand how it works for you."  
"Yû-chan... I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you, it was stupid... I try not to think about it but yes, sometimes, I feel like I'm going to go insane if I don't drink blood, and I acted without thinking... This is not what crossed my mind at first but I couldn't do that so... and then it was too late, you were bleeding and I just..." Mika had to keep the truth from his friend, he couldn't tell him everything because Yûichirô would force him to drink his blood if he knew, "Forget it, I'm fine now."  
And there was no way he told Yûichirô what his initial idea was, because it was obvious that his friend was indeed just his friend. And if Yûichirô didn't want him in his mind, then he was doomed.

"Like hell I'm gonna forget it! And what is it that you couldn't do? You're not making much sense you know?"  
Mika wasn't surprised that Yûichirô reacted like that, it was very much like him. But he regretted saying so much now, he should just have shut up.  
"You're not going to like it so forget it."  
"No way."  
"Yû-chan..."  
"Mika, I have all night and you know I'm stubborn so spit it out already."  
"I could just leave and let you sleep."  
"Is that a threat?" But Yûichirô's voice came out weak instead of the harsher tone he had initially wanted to put into his words. The sole idea of Mika leaving was heartbreaking...  
As much as he fought them back, tears were threatening to fall, and Mika didn't miss his glistening eyes.  
"Yû-chan, really, it's nothing... and I'm not leaving, promise."

Mika pulled Yûichirô into his arms, forgetting about the obvious reluctance his friend had showed earlier at their physical contact. When his friend was in that state, he just couldn't stay there and watch him cry.  
The way Yûichirô clung to him suddenly surprised Mika. He was half expecting to be pushed away. Yûichirô had not refused the embraces the previous times, but Mika had put that on account of the happiness of the reunion, but now he wasn't sure he understood what was going on with his friend.

The hug lasted a long moment, until Yûichirô spoke again.  
"Tell me." he whispered, his head nested in the crook of Mika's neck.  
"Okay but don't freak out, it was just a bad idea that crossed my mind."  
"Okay."  
"A hickey."  
Yûichirô, his arms still around Mika's waist, straightened to look at the latter in the eyes: "What? Seriously?"  
Mika averted his gaze: "I told you it was a bad idea. I was just trying to think of something visible physically."  
Yûichirô stayed silent for a few seconds, still staring at his friend, who was feeling totally awkward now.  
Was Mika... blushing?  
Something ignited in Yûichirô's gut. Butterflies.

When he woke up the next day, Yûichirô indeed had a cut to his finger. Staring at it, the butterflies came back at the thought of Mika giving him a hickey. Fuck, now he had a problem down south.  
Getting rid of his pyjamas, he hopped under the shower, a little ashamed as he literally took the matter in hand.


	5. Wheels of Confusion

A few vampires had been spotted around Harajuku station, and they had apparently no livestock with them, which meant to Guren that it might be a trap. A squad had seen them from far enough so they wouldn't bump into them, and had had time to run away since they were outnumbered and didn't stand a chance, had a fight begun.  
There was six or seven of them from what the leader of the squad had reported, but there was no way to say if more were hiding in the station, or would arrive later.  
The vampires had no business in the area now that it was totally void of any human, a very good reason for the lieutenant to be on his guards. But that didn't mean he wouldn't go and swipe them off the face of the earth, they were still the enemy and less vampires meant less trouble.

Guren also had another idea in mind. He had seen what Yûichirô was capable of, and somehow, he was almost sure that the boy was worth two soldiers at least, with the power he seemed to have in his hands. It could still be a temporary surge, but Guren doubted it. He didn't know what it was exactly, but Yûichirô's demon was different for sure, and seeing it act on the training field was one thing, in battle was another one.  
He had had a glimpse of in at Omotesando station, but it had been so quick... he needed to see more.  
He also wanted to know to which extent the boy controlled it. Which looked close to not at all as for now.

Two other squads were already waiting outside, along with Guren, Yoichi, Mitsuba and Kimizuki when Yûichirô and Shinoa finally reached the gates.  
"It's about time!" the lieutenant huffed, already moving.  
"You'd think that as the leader she'd show up first, but no, of course she had to take her time!" Mitsuba seethed. She was suited for the leader role better than the other girl, and such an attitude really got on her nerves. Shinoa was way too carefree.

It wasn't long until they reached Harajuku station, but the vampires were nowhere in sight.  
"It's probably a trap to make us come inside." Kimizuki stated, looking around himself.  
"No shit, really?" the leader of another squad spat disdainfully at the one he considered like an annoying and useless noob. Those kids were way too young to be there.  
"Cut the crap will you?" Guren intervened as the two boys started to exchange angry looks. Now wasn't the time to fight for petty things.

"Well, well well..." a voice came from behind, making everyone turn around, "It looks like lunch has just been served."  
The tall vampire, who Guren recognised as Crowley Eusford, was sporting a smirk at the sight of the humans.  
His two female acolytes laughed, baring their fangs.  
Guren, not letting his surprise show, retorted: "Only three of you? And here I thought we were in for a little fun. Talk about being disappointed, we'll be done in five minutes."  
Crowley laughed out loud at the snarky comment.  
"Really? Then we shall indeed finish this in five minutes, if that is the time you allow us."

Launching himself at the humans, the vampire missed Guren, and was about to slice the leader of the second squad, who was standing beside him, in two when the lieutenant pushed him back with his blade, the black shadow emanating from the weapon making the vampire retreat before he got touched.  
The two female bloodsuckers were watching from afar at first, but decided to attack as well.

Guren understood quickly that the vampires were holding back. They could have killed at least two squad members by now but they hadn't, for some reason. Guren wondered if they were waiting for backup or if there was something else to it. He quickly understood though, when several other vampires appeared in the horizon, black dots quickly coming closer, the three squads suddenly surrounded by the enemy.

"I suppose minutes suddenly became longer?" Crowley chuckled arrogantly. The squad members were still more numerous than the vampires, but knowing the strength the bloodsuckers were capable of, it was a small consolation to Guren, and sixteen humans against nine vampires was still giving a very uncertain outcome to the upcoming fight.

Except if Yûichirô could reiterate his exploit, and the lieutenant hoped very much so, otherwise, they were facing death for sure. Now that he was here, he knew that his decision had been irresponsible, and the sole hope that what happened in Omotesando reoccurred was a weak string to hold on to. But the deed was done and now, they had a fight to fight.

Yûichirô was not stupid, he knew what the lieutenant was onto. Feeling that almost everything was on his shoulders now was not a pleasant feeling, not when he still had no idea how to make things happen.  
 _Mika, are you there?_  
Nothing echoed his silent plea in his mind, and he suddenly felt extremely alone in the middle of the other soldiers.  
He braced himself nonetheless when it was clear that the vampires were back to attacking them, and jumped into the battle.

Kimizuki and Yoichi, teaming up, were able to kill one of the vampires, and the other humans managed to split the vampire formation around them, being encircled not being the best strategy to win a battle.  
But soon the bloodsuckers took the upper hand back, and they seemed to have the plan of cornering the squads at all cost, which they managed to do at some point minus a member of the third one who was isolated a few meters further, in the back of the vampires.

She was ignored, the enemy not spotting her at first. Knowing that she didn't stand a chance, she crouched behind a crumbled wall, praying that she wouldn't be discovered. She was of no help right now, and she knew it, no matter what she tried, she'd get killed.

Crowley resumed the attack, jumping forward at the humans, quickly followed by the seven remaining vampires. As he seemed to crash against something, bumping harshly backwards, the tall vampire regained his balance at the last second, saving a little of his dignity. The others met the same invisible wall and were not all so lucky, falling like birds against a window.  
Scowling, he didn't dare to approach a second time, trying to understand what had just happened, until one of his acolytes called to him in the background.  
"I think that a little lamb lost its herd." the female smiled, licking her fangs.

All vampires turned around to look at the source of her delight, spotting the girl that had been trying to make a circle and join her squad back when the enemy was busy elsewhere.  
Guren frowned. She was dead for sure.

The female vampire was quickly at the girl's neck, ready to bite into her jugular, when her leader decided to rescue her.  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!"  
Running to the girl, he didn't realise that the others were not following, and he found himself with Crowley Eusford at his throat as well in seconds.

Yûichirô and Kimizuki exchanged a look, and nodded to each other.  
But the dark haired boy didn't have time to move. His weapon began to glow, then released a swirling white light that encircled the vampires that were closest to him. Kimizuki, blinded, couldn't do anything and had to stay where he was, as well as the others.  
Once again, it was over in a split second. The vampires had been properly dusted, leaving the two that were attacking squad members a little further completely dumbfounded.

"You do realise that if you try anything, those two will be dry before you can save them, don't you?"  
Crowley smirked. He wasn't happy at all with what he had just witnessed, but he knew that humans were weak creatures rooting for each other, and that they wouldn't risk the life of the two squad members he and his acolyte had their hands on.  
"You do realise that we won't even have to come closer to kill you, even before you can poke a fang in their neck, don't you?" Guren replied with the same level of arrogance.  
"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, fine."  
Crowley Eusford wasn't smiling anymore, his face turning to a dead serious expression that sent chills along Yûichirô's spine. The lieutenant really expected him to save them, when he had no idea how to use his demon?

Deciding that he didn't have a choice anyway, the boy rose his sword, waiting for the swirl of light to come back. It had come a first time so it was likely to appear again, right?  
Now, Crowley looked amused, understanding by the small human's expression that he had no idea what he was doing, and a glance at Guren confirmed it: they were experimenting.  
He knew that it was dangerous, but he needed to see that. He'd have to report to Krul if he ever came back to Sanguinem anyway, so her wrath if he was ignoring the ins and outs of this cursed weapon was a threat big enough to be an incentive to stay now. He knew what demonic weapons were, but this one was different, and a lot more dangerous, even if the boy didn't seem to know how to use it.

Closing his eyes a brief second that seemed like an hour, Yûichirô thought hard about his friend.  
 _Mika, if you're with me, now's the time to do something, please... help me... help us..._  
Looking at Crowley, Yûichirô suddenly felt the embrace he had felt minutes ago around him again. It made him smile.  
The tall vampire was unable to hide the slight worry in his eyes at this sight.  
"MIKA, KILL THEM!" he yelled, launching himself at Crowley, who was the closest. Not knowing what to expect, the vampire discarded the human he was holding to avoid the encounter with the swirl of light, but Yûichirô was quick enough to change direction and come closer anyway. The blow was lost in the air but it didn't mean that Yûichirô would stop at that.

Crowley kept on jumping on the battleground, avoiding him, and the boy didn't manage to get at him. While doing so, he came closer to the other remaining vampire. He ignored the screams coming from the squads in his back, he had a fight going on and he was past taking orders anyway. He would get that vampire at all costs.

All of a sudden, Yûichirô knew what he had to do. He had no idea why, but he did.  
Bracing himself, gathering all his strength, he sunk his blade into the ground. The concrete cracked, and a rumble began to shake the ground, the crack expanding to Crowley's acolyte's feet.  
The vampire tried to escape, but she was glued to the floor, unable to move her feet. She watched with horror as the swirl of light, now coming from the crack, enveloped her, a sharp pain taking over her body. She didn't even have time to scream. The light faded, leaving a whirlwind of dust in the air.

Crowley was fascinated. Well, he was also very cautious, but the sight in front of him was a pure delight. The humans were screaming, and the boy with the powerful cursed weapon hadn't realised the reason of the screams. It was pathetically entertaining.  
Yûichirô finally came back to his senses and looked at the squads behind him. Guren had approached, and the boy received a monumental slap in the face as the lieutenant was finally on him.  
"That's for good measure." the man stated, but his face showed no anger.  
"What was that for?!" Yûichirô exclaimed, bringing a hand to his pulsing cheek, still not aware of the reason why everyone minus Guren looked alarmed.

Glancing in the vampire's direction, imitating Guren, Yûichirô realised that the bloodsucker was gone.  
Crowley wasn't about to risk his own existence, and he had seen enough that he could report to Krul, so, satisfied with the turn of events, as far as losing eight of his underlings stood for a pleasant ending, he had deemed safer to leave the battlefield.  
Yûichirô focused back on the others coming closer, wondering what the fuss was all about. Why were they all looking so angry when he had swept seven vampires out of nine all by himself? Without anyone getting harmed, no less!

"Yû-kun..." Yoichi began, but he was unable to go on.  
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Mitsuba yelled at the top of her lungs, although she was in the boy's face already.  
"Wha-" Yûichirô was unable to utter a word. He saw the third squad missing a member, and his eyes automatically fell on the place, a few meters further, where their leader had been standing last.  
Except an amount of dust, and burnt marks on the ground, there was nothing. Just the leader's weapon in pieces scattered around.

Horrified, Yûichirô looked back at the others.  
"I... I had no idea it would kill him!" he stuttered.  
"Well thank god you didn't actually _mean_ to do it!" Kimizuki scolded his squad mate, "You can't walk around with this thing if you can't use it! I knew it! I knew that you weren't fit for this, you jerk!"  
Shinoa was silent, as well as the others. No one had expected this to happen, and it was a big fuck-up.

"Let's go back." Guren said, "Without him, we might as well be dead anyway, so I guess the loss is better than us being all dead."  
"Are you serious?" the leader of the second squad couldn't believe his ears.  
"Dead serious. It's the best scenario between any that could have happened today, so yes, it's hard to lose a squad member, but we're at war, and such a weapon is our best asset, it has proven it without a doubt until now. Now stop talking about it."

Turning on his heels, Guren started to walk, going back to the headquarters. He wouldn't admit it, but he knew he was the one guilty here, as he had decided to come here in the first place.  
"Bu-" Mitsuba began.  
"SILENCE!" the lieutenant intimated. He wouldn't have any of it.

The squads walked in silence indeed, until they reached the headquarters, small groups going their own way upon arrival.  
"Tomorrow off." Guren said before dismissing everyone.

Yûichirô went to his room, exhausted, fetching food in the kitchen on his way. He had no will to face the others, everyone was mad at him, and he was shared between feeling totally horrified by what he had done... what _Mika_ had done, and agreeing with Guren's point of view. The lieutenant was right, but still, his demon had killed the wrong person, and he felt guilty about it, as well as scared that he would do it again.  
His stomach full, he discarded the wrappings and sat back on his bed, reflecting on the latest events.

"Yû-chan," Mika's voice resounded even before Yûichirô spotted him. He hadn't even realised he had fallen asleep. "You look worried."  
"Mika, what did you do? Why?" Yûichirô was anxious. He was slightly mad that his friend had done that, but part of him knew that it had to be a mistake. Mika himself had said that he didn't want to hurt humans.  
"What are you talking about?" Mika questioned, puzzled.  
Yûichirô explained what had happened, Mika's face going from concern to horror as he heard everything.  
"I didn't do it, you asked me." he finally said. It was a mere statement, not an accusation, Yûichirô knew it, but then, it raised a lot more questions.  
"I... what?"  
"I am not free of my actions, you wanted me to hit, I hit."  
"But didn't you see there was a human in the way?"  
"No."  
"Oh..." Yûichirô was a little more aware now of how things worked. Not in details, but he got a better idea, "I will have to be a lot more careful."  
The boy didn't feel better, but at least, he could prevent such a thing from happening again.  
"I'm sorry..." Mika offered. He hated to see Yûichirô like that, but he felt the same, "I think we need to think of a way to make this work."  
"Yes, indeed."  
Yûichirô thought about it for a minute.  
"Do you hear me when I talk to you, I mean, in my mind?"  
"No, it doesn't work like that. I can guide your hand because I know what to do, and I can fight for you, but I'm blind to what's happening on the battlefield, only your own will makes me direct my shots."  
"I see. I guess it can't be helped." the boy sighed.

Both stayed silent for a while, until Mika suddenly took Yûichirô's hand in his. The latter blushed violently, which didn't go unnoticed.  
"Yû-chan, I've missed you so much..." the blond said, coming closer. He hated that he couldn't stay away from Yûichirô, and at the same time was risking being pushed away. It tore him apart.  
"I've missed you too, Mika."  
To the demon's surprise, Yûichirô let his head fall on his shoulder. Mika took this as his cue to put his arms around his friend's shoulders, bringing him even closer.

Yûichirô was a little confused. He felt shy, and at the same time, he wanted to be that close to Mika. But what if Mika noticed that he was wishing for it in a way that was not just friendly?  
His heart was beating faster, and he could feel warmth take over his face. He was probably beet red by now.  
"Yû-chan..." Mika whispered in his ear, and for the briefest of instants, Yûichirô could swear he had felt Mika's lips graze his jugular. It sent shivers along his spine, but quickly reminded himself that Mika was probably just craving blood, there was nothing more to it. Should he be staying that close to Mika, risking to be bitten?

Mika felt everything. Yûichirô's heart beating faster, his body heat increasing, the way he imperceptibly snuggled closer, and how he shivered when Mika had approached his lips to his neck. He had wanted to kiss the tender skin so badly, and had refrained at the last second. But he couldn't shut his senses, and they were telling him that Yûichirô enjoyed the proximity.

Unable to resist, his hand found Yûichirô's cheek, his thumb sliding under his chin to lift his face. Meeting the green eyes he had missed so much, he covered his friend's lips softly with his.


	6. Keep it Warm

_**Note:** Thank you for the reviews on the previous chapters! Sooo... things are getting serious now :)_  
 _Thank you also for favouriting/following this story, i'm out of my usual fandom so it's great to know you like this story!_

* * *

Yûichirô's eyes shot wide open, and he found himself staring into Mika's blue irises as the latter withdrew after softly pecking his lips, unable to go further as he felt his friend stiffen in his arms.  
Surprise was painted all over Yûichirô's face.  
"Mi... ka?" he stuttered. He was all at once confused, a little scared, and wanting more, but he couldn't find his voice to reassure the growing anxiety he could see in Mika's eyes. Yes, he had wanted that, there was no way he'd reject his friend for doing that.  
"I'm sorry!" Mika felt as if he had made a huge mistake, and Yûichirô not saying anything didn't help, "I... Yû-chan... I..."  
But what could he say? 'Sorry that I non accidentally kissed you?'

Yûichirô's grip on Mika's clothes, pulling him closer as Mika tried to step back to give space to his friend who was obviously shocked by what he had done, suddenly shifted the blond's attention back to what was emanating from the body now against him once more.  
Mika searched for Yûichirô's eyes, silently questioning him. Was that acceptance he was feeling? Need? … Lust?!  
The demon sucked in a breath, his loins jolting under the waves the other was sending him involuntarily, reclaiming the body in his arms, closer, tighter...  
"Mika..." Yûichirô's fingers tentatively caressed the blond's lips, unable to express what he really wanted, still shy with these newfound feelings that were a little hard to deal with right now. He had never thought of himself as playing for the boys' team, and it was a little unsettling for him to assert his position as a man able to fight and achieve his goals, being... gay. And obviously totally at loss in Mika's arms, who seemed to have the upper hand in this. Oh, ego...

His train of thought was cut short by lips meeting his, and a tongue quickly invading his mouth, making him whimper in surprise. Yûichirô melted in the kiss. It was so much more than he had ever imagined, his face was on fire, and God, he was kissing Mika... They had always been so mutually exclusive in their friendship, he should have seen that coming years ago.  
Yûichirô finally decided to kiss back, feeling Mika's uncertainty still. Shyly, he slid his tongue along the blond's lower lip, slowly daring to go further to meet Mika's tongue, who regained confidence, and kissed him harder.

Gasping for air, the two looked at each other.  
"Yû-chan..." Mika's voice was low, tender.  
"Mika... Is that really happening?" Yûichirô could have slapped himself for saying something so stupid, but it was the exact thought that had crossed his mind right at that moment.  
Mika's caught his drift, though.  
"Everything that is happening between you and me is real, Yû-chan, this is just another dimension." he smiled softly, his hand descending from the dark mop of hair to the soft skin of Yûichirô's neck.

The latter smiled back, but suddenly found himself staring at the ceiling of his room, in the dark.  
"Fuuuuuck!" he muttered.  
Glancing at the digital clock, he decided to go back to sleep. It was not even 3am, and although he wasn't tired anymore, he wanted to go back to Mika. He needed to.  
It took him more than one hour to finally meet with his friend again.

"Mika!" he called, not seeing the other at first, but two arms encircling him from behind captured him, soft hair tickling his ear.  
"Yû-chan."  
Lips closed on his lobe, sucking lightly, sending his senses to overdrive.  
"Ah!" Yûichirô shivered as the lips became more daring, exploring the crook of his neck.  
"I'm sorry Yû-chan... this demon thing has made me a lot less capable of holding back."  
And indeed, as Mika's hand wandered over his chest, Yûichirô suddenly felt something against his lower back.  
"Mi... Mika, I'm not sure... I don't think..."  
"It's okay Yû-chan, don't worry... I would never hurt you."  
"I know, I'm just... new to this." the dark haired boy admitted in a whisper.  
"Me too."  
For a second, Yûichirô could swear there had been something akin to indignation in Mika's voice.  
"I didn't mean you had slept around."  
"I've waited for you."

Yûichirô suddenly wondered about the probability that he could have sealed a contract with another demon. Why Mika? How? Had Mika planned it?  
"What if you hadn't become my demon? I mean, was it meant like that or is it just a coincidence?"  
"It wasn't exactly meant like that, but I did make it happen. When it became obvious that me and some other demons were trapped and linked to cursed gear, I knew it would come to this, I mean, that you would get one. As long as you had not completed the task, I could see you in your world, and I knew what you were doing. I fought all demons, and I eventually became stronger, enough to be able to switch to the weapon you chose that day."  
"You demons can fight each other?"  
"Not anymore, we're all sealed inside weapons now, but before that, yes. One told me that we weren't supposed to do that, a bloodsucker demon like me, but he was weaker, so I had no difficulty to take his place when you chose your blade. None of them actually realised that we could increase our power if we fought each other, but by the time they realised it, it was too late, I had gained so much power over them that they couldn't fight me back."  
"Wow..." Yûichirô was amazed. Mika had never stopped fighting for him. It also explained the greater power that Mika had deployed on the battlefield compared to the weapons of his squad mates. Mika had never stopped doing everything in his power for them to be reunited, and Yûichirô felt slightly guilty because he had made new friends, and it was a bit like giving up on Mika to his opinion.

"Mika, I'm sorry, I wish I had done for you half of what you did for me..." he turned around to face the blond, tears stinging his eyes.  
"Don't cry over the past, you're here, and I'm here, it's all that counts now."  
Strong arms held him close, and Yûichirô relinquished in the feeling. It might be in his dreams, but it felt so real...  
"Is there a way for you to come back in the real world? I know I've asked before, but you haven't addressed the question... I know that all of this is real, but I can only meet you in my dreams, and I can't sleep all the time... Mika, I want to be with you all the time!"

Mika's hands found Yûichirô's shoulders, pushing him at arms' length.  
"There is one, but that would mean that you would give up on your weapon as it is, no more powers, and we'd end up being enemies."  
"What do you mean?" Yûichirô didn't care for his weapon if that meant that Mika could come back to the real world, in a dimension where he was a real person, not a dream, but enemies?  
"What I mean is that the only way for me to come back to a real body is to complete my transformation as a vampire. And you don't want that. You'd become a prey to me. I can still have a bit of control in my actual state, but as a full vampire, when blood lust strikes, I've seen what it does, I've seen Ferid in action. He's one of the most self controlled vampires, and yet, it was as ugly as can be, he just had no mind of his own anymore, he was... an animal. I don't want to risk hurting, or killing you."

Yûichirô kept silent.  
Mika as a vampire was not something he wanted, not because Mika would need to suck blood because really, Yûichirô could cope with that. He would offer his own blood and it would be okay, but then? Mika would be immortal, but himself would not, and when he'd be gone, what would Mika become? Hunted by other humans with cursed gear? That was as far as acceptable as could be.  
But what if...?

"Mika, can a vampire become human again?"  
"Yes, they can, Krul Tepes told me there is a way, but she never told me what it is."  
"Damn... we need to find out." Yûichirô became pensive. The situation was inextricable, but if there was a way, he would find out, no matter what. Mika had done so much until now, now was his turn to act for Mika.

Holding Mika a little tighter, the thought of what he had felt against his lower back a little earlier came back to his mind, making him blush. It was lucky that he had his face buried in the blond's chest. Mika didn't miss the increased beating of his heart though, and grabbed his face to kiss him again.  
Things heated pretty quickly, tongues caressing, exploring the other's mouth.

A small cry escaped Yûichirô as his appendage scratched the tip of a pointy fang. He tasted blood almost immediately and wanted to withdraw before smearing the red liquid all over Mika's mouth.  
Just as he took a step away, the other pulled him back, his eyes dark, his tongue licking his stained lips before crashing them against Yûichirô's again, searching for his tongue, his own teasing the small slit his fang had open in the tender flesh.

A low growl rumbled in Mika's throat, Yûichirô beginning to be a little scared, saliva mixing with the iron taste of blood in their mouth, Mika, more and more eager to drink the liquid, holding him tight, to the point it started to hurt a little.  
"Nnh..." the dark haired boy couldn't talk, but he wanted this to end, because Mika wasn't in his normal state and it freaked him out.  
The other broke the kiss as he felt the fear coming from Yûichirô, a trail of saliva mixed with blood dripping down his chin.  
Weirdly, Yûichirô's body reacted to that in a way the boy hadn't expected. Mika was standing there, hair tousled, eyes a bit lost, lips swollen and bloody, his breath heavy, and he was... gorgeous.

Yûichirô had always felt something for Mika that was different from what he had felt for Akane and the other orphans, but he had always put this on account of being closer to Mika, both in age and in friendship. Mika had always been all over him so Yûichirô had never had to deal with other feelings that would have given the nature of his love away. He had never known jealousy or lust, nothing like that, probably because he was also a late bloomer, so even if he wasn't surprised anymore with the turn of events right now, because all seemed natural and just the way it should be, it was quite weird to feel something in front of the sight of Mika as a bloodsucker. It was disturbing.

"Yû-chan, you need to wake up, I... I'm leaving now, I need to calm down... You..."  
Oh, the look in Mika's eyes... He was scared, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.  
Yûichirô found himself clutching to his friend's neck before he even realised he was.  
"No, don't go Mika..."  
"I need to... I will hurt you..." Mika's voice was pleading, breaking on the last word.  
"Drink my blood if you need to, please, I'm okay with it, I don't want to leave you now!"  
How was he supposed to deal with real life knowing that Mika was feeling awful on the other side of dreams?

Yûichirô's hand slid behind Mika's head, and he pushed his friend toward his neck as he tilted his head. He was serious about it, and he would prove it.  
"Yû-chan, no... don't do that..."  
"You haven't turned into a vampire yet although you drank my blood already, so a little more won't be that bad, right?"  
Mika's hot breath was against his neck, and it sent shivers along the tender skin.  
"How much would you need, actually?" Yûichirô whispered, bracing himself for the bite.  
"A lot... many times..." Mika was having a hard time being coherent with the one he loved giving himself like that, and his jugular pulsing right before his mouth.  
"Please, Mika." the boy punctuated his words with a soft peck on the blond's temple, tilting his head a bit more.


End file.
